Foodbank Sustainability

The St. Louis Area Foodbank has been committed to fighting hunger locally since 1975. Our commitment to sustainability has reduced costs allowing us to feed more families in need.

Since 2012, we’ve:

Expanded our retail store pickup program to reduce the amount of food being thrown in local landfills

Implemented truck routing software, a system to more efficiently map out our drivers routes to reduce fuel emissions

Installed a baler in our warehouse to recycle the large volume of cardboard we use each year

Worked with Microgrid Solar to install 80 solar panels on the roof of the Foodbank

Improved lighting quality while reducing air-conditioning and refrigeration loads through replacement of inefficient indoor and outdoor lighting with high-performance LED

Upgraded building and automation system to allow for scheduling and temperature control of HVAC systems

Variable-speed drives for water-cooled refrigeration condenser fans

New Web-based smart thermostats in the warehouse

Smart irrigation controls

In the past 5 years, the Foodbank increased food distribution by 26% while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by 14%. This is a 32% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions per 1,000 pounds distributed.♦

This equals:

Providing More Than Energy

Our efforts to increase our sustainability have resulted in a savings of more than $210,000 last fiscal year.♦

Not only is this great news for our overall cost, but it also means we are able to provide an additional 840,000 meals to families in need.

“The Foodbank is always looking for ways to be as efficient as possible, so we can utilize more resources for our programs that feed people in need. Installing solar panels was an easy decision and the money saved has helped us feed more families.” – Matt Dace, senior vice president at the St. Louis Area Foodbank

In our efforts to create a more sustainable planet, we are striving to reduce the environmental impact of our operations.